Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 - November 7, 1980) was an American movie actor. Nicknamed "The King of Cool," he was considered one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to what many film goers consider a captivating on-screen persona. McQueen was considered a combative and archetypal "difficult movie star" who disliked working with directors or producers. To compensate, he would work only if paid a higher-than-average "movie star" salary for his films.